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Saturday, 14 May 2016

Getting To Sleep Better: Tips From A Nocturnal Person

Sleeping has always been a struggle of mine, or rather, sleeping at a decent time has always been a struggle of mine.

I have been a night owl since I was a kid, staying up late reading a book under the covers by torchlight then, to now, watching a captivating show into the little hours of the morning. I am nocturnal. I love the night. There's something captivating about feeling like you're the only one awake and just listening to the natural sounds of the world. However, even I know when it's time to break the habit of only getting to sleep in the early-ish hours of the morning.

For years, people have thrown lavender scented products at me and told me things that will help me sleep. Did they work? Not really. I appreciated that they were trying to help but every time I told someone of my sleeping problems, they'd all suggest the same things. The internet is not much better.

Through trial and error, I want to share with you guys, my own tips for sleeping better. Some of these tips, you probably have heard but take it from a fellow nocturnal person, when you try, they can work.

Without further ado, here are my tips:

- Set an alarm. Try and get up at about the same time very morning, no matter what time you get to sleep. You will feel tired, but something I have struggles to accept, is that feeling tired doesn't mean you need more sleep, it's a normal part of life. It takes a lot of patience, but I do find that it pays off and you will start to see yourself sleeping earlier and easier.

- Settle down with a book. Whether it's electronic or paper, it'll help. I find that reading tires your eyes out, which makes you want to close your eyes.. See the logic? Either way, it's a great way to settle down and give you some down time away from social media. However if you do read from a kindle, put the brightness down. The brightness is only going to be worse for your eyes and keep you awake longer because of all the light they're seeing.

- Cancel out the noise. If there's noise distracting you like someone snoring, dogs barking or people outside being drunk, try putting some relaxing music on a low volume. Loud enough you can hear it, but not blasting. My boyfriend introduced me to Norah Jones's Come Away With Me album and it's so soft and relaxing to me. Because it's the album I sleep to, I find it's had an effect on me that whenever I put it on, i'm asleep by the third song. It's psychological.

- Avoid eating before bed. This both benefits your sleep and your body. Eating before bed will give you the energy from that food which will keep you awake longer. Avoid it and drink some water instead. Also, definitely stay away from caffeine in the later afternoon onwards.

- Eat certain foods. I know, I just told you to not eat before bed, but there are foods you can eat during the day that help increase the chemicals in your body that send you off to sleep. Such foods are walnuts, almonds, cherries, rice, strawberries and more! The list goes on! Have a look yourself! Simply look up foods that contain serotonin and melatonin.

- Dark and cold. Keep your bedroom as dark as possible at night and as cool as possible. If you're too hot, chances are you won't sleep well. Something I like to do if I'm too hot before sleep is go stand just outside my front door, I find it cools me enough and gives me some fresh air at the same time.

- Relax with a massage. If you have a partner or a willing family member or friend, ask them for a back rub to help you sleep. Use some body lotion or some lavender scented oil, close your eyes and relax. It's a great way to chill out and feel yourself slowly drifting away.

Let me know in the comments below what helps you sleep! Remember to share this blog!

Switching off definitely isn't easy, I myself just cant seem to settle once it gets past a certain time. No matter what time I go to bed I am still wide awake in the early hours! I haven't tried listening to music though, to send me off to sleep, so I will definitely be giving that a go.

The habit of good sleeping is very important for your health. another tip from me:: Exposure to bright light first thing in the morning stops production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and signals to your body that it's time to wake up. Outdoor sunlight is best, so you might even want to take a quick walk outside.

My sleeping pattern is quite unhealthy because of the kind of work I do. I usually sleep for a maximum of five hours. I have tried out some essential oils and even some herbs, but there is no change. I am eager to try out all your tips and tricks, if they worked for you, they will certainly work for me. Thanks for sharing this great content. I also read the following post on how to sleep better: http://survival-mastery.com/med/human-body/how-to-sleep-better.html